New citizens naturalized and celebrated at Lynden Sculpture Garden

Photos by Cherrie Hanson

U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph, an immigrant from Haiti, presided over the swearing-in of 52 new citizens Sunday at the Lynden Sculpture Garden in River Hills.

Fifty-two people from more than two dozen countries became citizens Saturday in an outdoor ceremony at Lynden Sculpture Garden in River Hills, sworn in by U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph.

Lynden Sculpture Garden’s HOME program, in collaboration with the Community Center for Immigrants hosted the ceremony, followed by photos, a luncheon and celebration with their families and guests. It was the second naturalization ceremony held at Lynden Sculpture Garden.

The HOME program works with refugee community leaders and members, artists and others to unite and celebrate refugees. The Community Center for Immigrants is a non-profit that promotes integration, and provides social and educational opportunities for immigrants.

Caitlyn Lewis from the Community Center for Immigrants and Paul Vang from HOME Refugee Steering Committee welcomed the inductees and other guests.

“Naturalization ceremonies have a special place in my heart because my husband is a naturalized U.S. citizen,” Lewis said. “We spent many years through the immigration process until he got his U.S. citizenship–three years ago!”

From left to right, Nancy Joseph, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Caitlyn Lewis, Community Center for Immigrants executive director, Tom Moore, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer and Paul Vang, HOME Refugee Steering Committee member.

Vang highlighted the choice of holding the ceremony at Lynden Sculpture Garden. He explained that industrialist Harry Bradley, who founded the Allen-Bradley Company with his brother Lynde, and his wife, Peg Bradley transformed 40-acres of flat farmland into the picturesque park it is today. Peg Bradley, an avid art collector, personally oversaw the installations of the art work on site, he added.

“Many in the greater Milwaukee community aren’t aware of this peaceful and serene place,” Vang said. “This is especially true of our immigrant and refugee communities in Milwaukee. In service of that, in 2019, Kim Khaira, under the direction of director Polly Morris, created HOME at Lynden, a program with the purpose of building space of leading, of coming together and of celebrating refugees.”

HOME events, held at Lynden, are always free and opened to the public, he added.

Following a performance of the Star-spangled Banner by Saung Hnin, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Officer Tom Moore made the motion to accept new citizens.

As she began her remarks, Judge Joseph urged the inductees and their families to applaud and cheer “loudly and proudly” throughout the ceremony.

Burmese singer, Saung Hnin, performed the Star-spangled Banner to commemorate the induction of new U.S. citizens.

Joseph noted the number of naturalizations that take place on a regular basis at the Federal Courthouse in Milwaukee. “We average about 60 candidates per ceremony with three ceremonies held one day a month,” she said. “That’s just right here in Milwaukee. Multiply it all over the country.

“You’re joining part of a beautiful tradition,” she said. “And what we celebrate when we celebrate naturalization is not just your individual naturalizations of becoming citizens. While that is very important, the bigger picture is that we are celebrating something special about our country—the fact that we are a country made up of people from all over the world.”

Lynden Sculpture Garden hosted the second annual Naturalization Ceremony with Community Center for Immigrants with sponsors; International Institute of Wisconsin, Hanan Refugee Group, Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, Prime Financial Credit Union, League of Women Voters and United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee.

Roll call

Joseph led a roll call by country, asking the applicants for citizenship to cheer when their country is called. “You will see how truly diverse our country is,” she said. Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, France … India … Jordan … Pakistan … Mexico.

“Come on Mexico. You have to be louder than that. I say this because I keep score in every ceremony that I’ve done. Mexico has had the most number of new citizens. So, you should be proud and loud about it?”

Then Joseph asked the crowd to guess which country is second, offering extra helpings of lunch as a prize. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she announced it is India.

As Judge Joseph called out names of many countries represented at the ceremony, applicants raised their hands.

A personal story

Saying she has heard many immigrant stories, Joseph announced, “I’m going to pick one story to share with you.” It started in 1969. A man arrives alone at JFK, “with all the nervousness and anxiety of coming to a new country.” He has only a few U.S. dollars and the address of the person who is going to be his host. But what’s crazier about his story is not what he arrives with, but what he has left behind. He has left behind a pregnant wife and eight children.”

She tells of this man’s struggles to learn English, to find a job and to build a better life for his family. She describes the arrival of his wife six months later. “She came alone, without the children.”

“She had at most a 3rd-grade education. But like her husband, she arrived with the heart and mind full of hope and full of dreams of the possibility of bringing and building something new here in America for her husband, for herself and the children.

“They got to working, taking any job that they could find, like immigrants often do,” she continued. And they saved their money. And they prayed. There were many tears. Over time, they became U.S. citizens. They took the oath of citizenship and began the process of reuniting their family.

“Their story is not unique. You may have members of your own families who have experienced something similar. It’s a story that has been repeated all over this great country because that’s the price of migration. But I chose to share this particular couple’s story with you because the couple was my parents.

“You’ve heard this story. It’s a story that has been repeated all over this great country because sometimes that is the price of migration. But I chose to share this particular couple’s story with you because the couple was my parents.” Joseph’s parents immigrated from Haiti.

“And the youngest of their eight children was me.” Ten months old when her mother left, Joseph was 8 years old when she came to the U.S. and joined her parents. At 18, she became a U.S. citizen herself.

“It is with profound gratitude, celebration and pride that I stand before you to administer this oath to you … Now please rise. Raise your right hand, nice and high and proud, and repeat after me, “I hereby declare …”

Musebo Kimbakimba, director of refugee resettlement, International Institute of Wisconsin

Saung Hnin, Burmese singer performed the Star Spangled Banner

International award-winning musician and educator, Wade Fernandez, Wiciwen Apis-Mahwaew of the Menominee Nation, performed original music on guitar and flute.